Nightmares and Dreamscapes: Measure A Lifetime
by Darkened Author
Summary: Robin has lived a lifetime inside a virtual jail cell. When he is released from his hell he finds that only a few seconds have passed. Can the titans save hom from himself now that he has to live life over with the memories of a world that never existed.
1. Crime and Punishment

Robin awoke with a start his eyes flashing in the artificial light presented by the row of lights in the ceiling. A tall being with three fingers hovered over Robin pulling off a metal plate that had been pasted to Robin's forehead. Several beeping noises and a flick of the wrist sent the object floating away, unheld by any hand. Robin's unmasked eyes darted around the room, his heart rate accelerating. The beats hit his chest painfully, the cold air burning his skin. He was being crushed his lungs contracting, again fading into black.  
The doors to the far end of the room flew open with a mechanical hiss, shutting behind the girl who ran to Robin's side, a fearful air. Her blue cloak drifting behind her, boots patting softly on the floor as they rushed.  
"God what have you done to him?" her voice cried out to the nearest creature, bestowing all her fury to it.  
Adopting her tongue it spoke softly, feeling no emotion, "Prisoner Beta three hundred and thirteen has served his sentence as dictated by our high arbiter. He has, in the space of a few jromjii experienced twenty seven human years of prison and then fifteen seconds of our latest development. Your comrade felt a lifetime worth of love for what felt to him like fifteen seconds. Your Robin will be distraught with misery for a lifetime"  
"Jesus, What the hell was all this about"  
"Prisoner Beta three hundred and thirteen was accused of high treason against the Arkethulean government"  
"You don't have jurisdiction over him; you will be lucky if"  
"No more information is available on Prisoner Beta three hundred and thirteen"  
Raven knew it was over, her bond with Robin had been severed a few hours ago and she knew something must have been wrong. This didn't just border on cruel and unusual punishment. It was already there. The Arkethulean nearest Raven took the metal slab where Robin was lying and hovered it over to and through the open door. Raven followed it closely. Cyborg who was already making a nuisance of himself to the guards by the door took one look at Robin and lunged at the nearest Arkethulean, yelling with a passion. He was sent into the wall easily before there was any contact made between him and the creature. After a moment Cyborg propped himself up on one arm and held his head with another, "No," he mumbled to himself.  
"The punishment has already been given. It's much worse than I thought though"  
Her friends gave her a pained expression and turned to Robin, who was still under. The tower was now a monument to Robin who had not since woken up in many days. The titans stood solemn, waiting, not eating, and not speaking. No one needed to watch the boy wonder, he stared into the ceiling, his eyes open constantly, tears leaking out. It was the twenty fifth of December, a day that no one was celebrating, when Robin sat up. He was drenched in a cold sweat from head to foot and he shuttered, a nauseas feeling creeping upon him.  
He slammed his fist violently into the bed, "What? No!" He continued for a long while to mumble to himself, saying things out of order, not consciously speaking, "I didn't even know your name, but"  
Raven came in, already knowing that he was awake, her connection with him reestablished. Robin was leaning over forwards, crying. Raven sat next to him as he buried his face into her shoulder.  
"Raven"  
She didn't answer and he pulled away looking at her.  
"They told me you were dead"  
"Robin, I'm sorry, it hasn't been as long as you think it has." 


	2. A chapter of life

Robin hung his head, a deep longing in the pit of his stomach where his love had once been. Raven looked at him seeing no further than his skin. A feeling that she had never been forced to feel, it meant that she was disconnected from everyone now; the one who had always felt she deserved a second chance now could only grovel at the feet of regret and loneliness.

(A/N I almost wish that I could publish this…. Sorry for the interruption.)

Robin stood, wavering and then tripping, wrongly guessing the height of his younger body and falling to the floor, "Raven, this doesn't make sense, they still have me! I know it! They've done this before, you're dead, and your father killed you! I'm hallucinating."

Raven backed away from him, sitting on another cot, hoping that her tranquility might perhaps rob him of his paranoia. She closed her eyes, searching, if not for a bond, then maybe just a sliver of emotion she could grasp onto and calm. Robin gaped around like a crazed animal. He stood quietly, when a mind adjoined his. Like a seductive tendril it probed his consciousness.

Out of fear Robin grasped a large heavy metal chair and leaped over the bed bringing it down upon Raven's head. Raven screamed and clutched her head tumbling backwards over the bed and scampering to his unstable feet, the room swaying. Her last view was of Robin flying over the cot and smashing her temple. Robin tripped and fell onto Raven as he landed. He lay there, smelling her aroma and feeling her body up against his. He touched her curled hand and threw himself off of her in horror, his delirium thrown away as he felt her cold daemon skin.

Cyborg walked in purposefully and Robin darted for the door. Cyborg grasped for Robins short black cape but missed and began to pursue him, calling Beast Boy in for help. The changeling tore around the corridor, his paws thumping methodically around the turn, keeping in tempo with Cyborg's more metallic sounds. His heart still slow, not even fatigued, he roared attempting to demoralize Robin but the try failed and Robin was tackled by an eight hundred pound lion. Robin's shoulders were pressed to the floor and he was rendered immobile. Cyborg walked over and put Robin to out cold.


End file.
